CC0 · no rights reserved
The third suitor, who is an archer, shoots the wicked fairy who has imprisoned Zuhra. He rides on a magic horse prepared by the second suitor and is led to the spot by the divining prowess of the first, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Thirty-fourth Night
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
In the upper-right corner, Zuhra is imprisoned high atop a rocky outcrop. The evil fairy that captured her falls dead from the side of the mountain with an arrow in her chest. Zuhra’s three suitors have combined their unique talents in order to save her, yet it is ultimately the third who proves himself most worthy of her love.
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionCredit lineThe third suitor, who is an archer, shoots the wicked fairy who has imprisoned Zuhra. He rides on a magic horse prepared by the second suitor and is led to the spot by the divining prowess of the first, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Thirty-fourth Night, c. 1560. Mughal India, court of Akbar (reigned 1556–1605). Gum tempera, ink, and gold on paper; overall: 20.3 x 14 cm (8 x 5 1/2 in.); painting only: 13.8 x 10 cm (5 7/16 x 3 15/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Mrs. A. Dean Perry, 1962.279.226.a
Similar works
The Raja’s daughter and her lover stoned to death for adultery, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Forty-Second Night
The wolf and the jackal, serving as viziers, instigate the lion who pursues the Brahman up a tree, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Twenty-first Night
"Suhrab Slain by Rustam", Folio from a Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Firdausi
"Death of Farud", Folio from a Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Firdausi
"Bahram Gur Hunting with Azada", Folio from a Shahnama (Book of Kings)
The fourth man digs at the spot where he dropped the shell, expecting jewels, but discovering mere iron, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Forty-seventh Night